CHP: Didn't appear suspect in Tour de Palm Springs crash was under influence of drugs or alcohol

Tour de Palm Springs cyclists struck by vehicle on Dillon Road, one dead.

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Two cyclists participating in the 2018 Tour de Palm Springs were struck by a vehicle speeding on Dillon Road near the intersection with 30th Avenue. One of the cyclists was pronounced dead at the seen while the other cyclist was airlifted to Desert Regional Hospital in Palm Springs, California on February 10, 2018. The driver was also taken to Desert Regional Hospital via ambulance. (Photo: Omar Ornelas/The Desert Sun)Buy Photo

A driver didn't appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol as he sped down a road and caused a fatal collision involving a Tour de Palm Springs bicyclist Saturday, investigators say.

Ronnie Huerta Jr. collided with two bicyclists while allegedly driving 100 mph on Dillon Road "in a reckless manner," California Highway Patrol officer Michael Radford said. The event was well underway when the collision occurred and the suspect should have realized that he was sharing the road with multiple bike riders, authorities said.

"A reasonable person would understand there was an event going on," Radford said

He added investigators are waiting for test results to confirm if drugs or alcohol weren't factors in the collision.

Investigators say the 21-year-old lost control of his Ford 500 while heading east on Dillon Road, which has a speed limit of 50 mph. He entered the north shoulder, overcorrected and returned to the eastbound lanes where he struck bicyclists who also were heading east.

Mark Kristofferson, a 49-year-old resident of Lake Stevens, Washington, was pronounced dead at the scene while a Huntington Beach woman was airlifted to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs for serious injuries.

Huerta was treated for a laceration to his head before being arrested ons suspicion of vehicular manslaughter. He was released Sunday after posting $75,000 bail and he's tentatively scheduled to be arraigned in Riverside County Superior Court April 11, according to jail records.

The collision was near Avenue 30, which is in one of the more desolate stretches of Dillon Road. It was on a 25-mile stretch without any CHP officers parked along the bike route.

Radford said officers were based at intersections with heavy traffic or in residential areas. They included: Worsley Road, Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Drive, Mountain View Road, Long Canyon Road, Corkhill Road and the Highway 86 Expressway.

That's not an unusual setup during the annual bike ride. Bicyclists go through nearly every Coachella Valley community and multiple law enforcement agencies are spread out along the route.

Palm Springs usually has the most road closures and police presence, since that's where each the bike event begins and ends.

"We're at every major intersection they come through in our city," Palm Springs police Sgt. William Hutchinson said.